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A historic Hollywood shutdown

Laura L. Davis   Paste BN

Hollywood actors are walking off the job for the first time in decades. The FDA approved the nation's first over-the-counter birth control pill. And the investigation into the cocaine found at the White House is over.

👋 Hey! Laura Davis here. Ready for Thursday’s news? It’s ready for you!

But first: So close, yet so far. 🥲 After days of optimistic forecasts, the chances of seeing the northern lights in the Lower 48 are slim. What happened?

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Actors strike, shutting down Hollywood

Hollywood actors are about to be off the job and on the picket line. The Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA), the union that represents American film and TV actors, announced Thursday its members would go on strike after failing to reach a contract agreement with major studios. Much of Hollywood has already shut down because of the ongoing writers strike that began May 2, and the actors' work stoppage will essentially bring most movie and TV production worldwide to a halt. Key issues for the actors are how they get paid in an industry now dominated by streaming services, and how artificial intelligence will be used in Hollywood. The latest updates on the labor battle.

OTC birth control gets FDA approval

It's official: The first over-the-counter birth control pill could hit store shelves early next year. The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday signed off on Opill (norgestrel), a once-a-day tablet that will soon be readily available to consumers online and at drug stores, grocery stores and convenience stores. Opill has been available by prescription since 1973, but its over-the-counter status could go a long way toward removing barriers to access since people will be able to get an oral contraceptive without the need to first see a healthcare provider. Here's what to know.

What everyone's talking about

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Hot weather from coast to coast

It's hot out there. Record-breaking hot. A dangerous, unrelenting heat wave scorched much of the South-Central and Western U.S. on Thursday, bringing near-record temperatures and an increased risk of wildfires to a large swath of the nation.

More than 113 million Americans were under some form of heat alert Thursday afternoon, the National Weather Service said. The alerts, which include excessive heat warnings and heat advisories, stretched some 2,000 miles from Oregon to Louisiana.

The summer of heat records continues: Our planet as a whole just endured its hottest June on record, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and NASA reported Thursday. NOAA's records go back to 1850, while NASA's go back to 1880.

White House cocaine: Case closed

Whoever dropped their cocaine in the White House seems to have gotten away with it. The Secret Service concluded an investigation into the bag of cocaine found earlier this month at the White House, but was unable to determine who brought it into the building − nor do they have any suspects. The FBI found no fingerprints or DNA, and the Secret Service sifted through surveillance footage and visitor logs of hundreds of people who had access to the West Wing lobby where the drug was found, finding no physical evidence.

A break from the news

Laura L. Davis is an Audience Editor at Paste BN. Send her an email at laura@usatoday.com. This is a compilation of stories from across the Paste BN Network. Support quality journalism like this? Subscribe to Paste BN here.

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